Former big league manager, coach, catcher Pat Corrales dies at 82
ATLANTA (AP) — Pat Corrales, who managed the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies before a long stint on the Atlanta Braves coaching staff under Hall of Fame skipper Bobby Cox, has died at the age of 82.
The Los Angeles Dodgers said Corrales died of natural causes Sunday night at his home in the north Georgia mountains. He had worked in the team’s front office since 2012, serving as a special assistant to the general manager in his final role.
A native of Los Angeles, Corrales was a backup catcher with four teams over a largely nondescript career in the majors, compiling a .216 average with four homers and 54 RBIs over nine seasons.
He did get a chance to work behind future Hall of Famer Johnny Bench with the Cincinnati Reds and made his only postseason appearance as a player in the 1970 World Series, grounding to Brooks Robinson for the final out in Baltimore’s five-game victory.
Frank Howard, larger-than-life slugger, dies at 87
Frank Howard, a hugely popular giant of a man who singlehandedly elevated Washington baseball from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, has died, the Nationals announced on Monday. He was 87.
Though Howard never guided the Washington Senators to the postseason, he was an All-Star four times, had two top-5 finishes in MVP voting and won two home run crowns during his time with the club from 1965-71.
Howard, who stood 6-foot-7 and weighed more than 250 pounds during his heyday, was aptly nicknamed “The Capital Punisher” and “The Washington Monument.” His mammoth home runs — including a 500-foot shot at RFK Stadium in 1970 — only added to his legend. He finished his career with 382 home runs, leading the Majors with 44 in 1968 and the American League with 44 in ’70.
“Growing up a baseball fan in Washington D.C., Frank Howard was my hero,” Nationals managing principal owner Mark D. Lerner said in a statement. “The towering home runs he hit into the stands at RFK Stadium gave him the nickname ‘Capital Punisher,’ but I’ll always remember him as a kind and gentle man. The entire Lerner family would like to offer our thoughts and condolences to Frank’s family during this difficult time. The world of baseball has truly lost a giant.”
Howard turned down the chance to play in the NBA; he was a third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Warriors after starring as an All-American in baseball and basketball at Ohio State University. Instead, Howard pursued a career in baseball that began with the Dodgers, who signed the right-handed-hitting outfielder in 1958 and called him up late in the season. Howard was a platoon player for much of his tenure with the Dodgers, though he made the most of his playing time. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1960 and helped Los Angeles to a World Series title in 1963.